Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 1998. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For the first time in South Africa's labour relations history, a comprehensive legislative
tool (The Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995), which has the potential and aim to serve the
interests of employers and employees in a different way than traditional collective
bargaining has been designed. Leadership by the captains of industry and labour will be
necessary in breaking new ground and in making the perceived new framework of
relationships work. The change process, the principles of participation, and the
development and implementation of new values. will not be easy. cheap or comfortable.
Management can respond to the Act by complying to the letter of the law, that is, going
technically through the motions required by the Act. In years to come, it would perhaps
be more beneficial if they responded to the spirit of the law: a genuine and real
involvement of all stakeholders taking co-responsibility for the success of their
organisations. "Successful workplace relationships are made by all people inside the
workplace and not by the laws created outside the workplace" (lsrae1stam and Marais,
1997).
1bis will require a true transformation of their organisations using employee involvement
as a key to organisational transformation.
Participative management is a very broad concept and its meaning could range from
informing employees in advance before implementing management decisions to giving
employees majority control on the organisation's governing body. What then would be
legitimate reasons for an organisation to implement participative management?
International experience makes it clear that, in order to be effective,
prosperous organisation.
The need to move beyond adversarialisrn 15 based on the need to escape the selfperpetuating
cycle of confrontation and dissatisfaction and lack of co-operation.
Participative management is part of the effort to reverse the confrontational trend and
achieve a positive spiral of co-operation through joint problem solving and strengthening
of organisational resources, shared benefits, mutual understanding. caring, goal creation,
keeping of promises and success in goal achievement.
Due to the fact that each South African organisation is at a different stage of industrial
relations and management culture development, participative management cannott be
rushed into practice. South Africa needs to learn from the good and the bad of international
experience and adapt these lessons to its own unique labour circumstances.
While South African employees have been instumental in achieving democratic rights
politically, their long-standing and intense struggle for labour rights and democracy has
left a powerful and intense legacy of need for satisfaction of workplace demands!' A
Workplace Forum is therefore a participative management mechanism in the form of an
employee representative committee which interacts closely with the employer.
As is evident in Figure 1, management and trade unions may decide to solve their
differences through collective bargaining or through some form of joint problem solving,
such as workplace forums.
The new structure at workplace level gives workers a voice in managerial decisions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge 66 van 1995 is in werking gestel met die spesifieke doel
om vir die eerste keer in die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis na die belange van die
werknemer, werkgewer en georganiseerde arbeid op 'n gebalanseerde wyse om te sien.
Die daarstelling van werkplekforums in organisasies is daarop gemik om deelnemende
strukture in plek te kry. Die vestiging van deelnemende bestuur in organisasies, sal
ongetwyfeld met konflik gepaard gaan, omdat werknemers en werkgewers se behoeftes
verskil.
Hierdie konflik behoort ten minste nou op 'n geordende wyse deur wetgewing
aangespreek te word.
"Suksesvolle arbeidsverhoudinge word geskep en handhaaf deur alle belanghebbendes
binne die werkplek en beslis nie deur wetgewing buite die organisasie nie" (lsraelstam en
Marais, 1997). Dit bly dus ongetwyfeld die verantwoordelikheid van bestuur om
deelnemende besluitnemingsmeganisme daar te stel ten einde die transformasieproses in
organisasies te bespoedig.
Konflik word verder verminder deur groter betrokkenheid in plaas daarvan dat besluite op
'n tipiese burokraties-outoritere wyse geneem word. Deelnemende besluitneming kan lei
tot beter funksionering van die organisasie omdat besluite deur 'n groep beter is as
enkelbesluite.
'n Werkplekforum kan alleenlik doeltreffend funksioneer mits opregte deelnemende bestuur dien as vertrekpunte. Werkplek forums moet as platvorms gebruik word waar
toepaslike inligting, sienswyse, probleme en oplossings oop en eerlik met almal gedeel
word, sodat stabiele doeltreffende verhoudings in die organisasie sal ontstaan.
Die sentrale tema van hierdie projek gaan oor die verhouding tussen werkgewer,
werknemer en georganiseerde arbeid waar werkplekforums as 'n deelnemende
besluitnemingsmeganisme geimplementeer kan word, met die gevolg dat werknemers
werklik deur middel van verteenwoordiging met werkgewers kan skakel. Groter
verantwoordelikheid en toegewydheid aan die kant van arbeid en bestuur sal verseker dat
produktiwiteit en kwaliteit verbeter, ten einde met gemak op die intemasionale markte
mee te kan ding.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51088 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Smith, Willie Gerald |
| Contributors | Bendix, D. W. F., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 112 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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